October is the kick off month for the GHA Annual Fund Campaign.  This year's pledge drive runs from October 15 - November 30, 2010, but gifts are welcome at any time.  The Annual Fund supports the school's operating budget for the current academic year.  Tuition alone only covers 70% of teacher and staff salaries, classroom materials, and the cost to "keep the lights on." All gifts are tax deductible and all donors will be recognized by name in the Annual Report unless you choose to remain anonymous.  For detailed information look for the GHA NOW brochure being sent to you by snail mail or click on the GHA NOW! logo above.  Thank you for your support in advance.       

GHA has a Mileage Running Club!  Once a week, grades 1st-5th have the option to run/walk the fitness trail during their lunch recess.  For those who participate they are given a foot card that will be punched for every half mile they run. A filled up foot card (26 punches) is the equivalent of running a half marathon! 

Each month children will earn charms, one for participation and a special foot charm if they have filled up their foot card during that month.  There is a different charm for each month giving the students the chance to earn a total of 9 charms a year (September-May), plus the foot charm every time they fill up their card!  The kids proudly display these charms on a chain attached to their backpacks, lunch boxes, or on their wrists as bracelets.   

Megan Johnson, GHA's PE Specialist, started this club three years ago and has been tracking on a United States map (located in front of the K-3 quad building) a route across the country.  She takes the combined miles earned by all participants each month and adds it to the route.  In the 2008-2009 school year the club started in Alaska and went through Washington, Oregon, California, and hit their goal of running all the way to Hawaii!  In the 2009-2010 school year, the kids ran from Hawaii through Arizona, Nevada, Idaho, and hit their goal in Montana.  This year the club's goal is to start in Montana go through Wyoming, Utah, New Mexico, and make it all the way to Colorado.

William Hagmann & Nathan Brekke

Last year, we had two children run the equivalent of 2 marathons!  William Hagmann and Nathan Brekke (now 2nd grade) earned a very special large foot charm for all their efforts.  Way to go boys! 

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Don't forget to support Devon Raney on October 16 at Mostly Books, located at 3126 Harborview Drive in Gig Harbor, where he will be signing copies of his newly published book "The Adventures of Jake Skater" from 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM.

Click on the above image to see the Peninsula Gateway article written about Devon Raney.      

The fifth grade class has been an integral part of this years SFN Food Drive.  The project started with a class trip to the Gig Harbor FISH Food Bank. They took a tour of the facility, learned how FISH operates, and how GHA can help the food bank be successful in meeting the needs of people who are using the food bank's services.  Once the fifth grade class compiled this information they surged forward with making posters and going from class to class to relay FISH's message and let the other students know how, as a community, GHA can help others in need who rely on the food bank.  All week long food has been pouring into the fifth grade class where the students have taken inventory and have been sorting the food to get ready for delivery on Friday, October 15.  The response has been tremendous and the learning experience for all the students invaluable. 

The fifth graders wanted me to remind everyone that if you are interested in donating food or monetary gifts it is not too late.  You will have until Friday morning, October 15, to drop off your goods.           

This week our M/W/F Preschool went on a special walk in the wetlands.  The kids were told that they were to look for something out of the ordinary.  What they found was the book "The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything." Each page was laminated and stuck to trees in different areas of the path.  The children searched for the pages in order and re-enacted the story as they went.  They clomped, clomped, wiggled, wiggled, shook, shook, clapped, clapped, nodded, nodded, and Boo'ed with excitement! 

The preschool class has left the book out in the welands for all to enjoy.  Come visit with your child and share the same enthusiasm and wonderment that our GHA Preschool class did!    

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Thursday, October 14

6:30-7:30 PM

If you are reading this at 5:30 PM Thursday night it is not too late to join us for a fun-filled evening for the entire school, all about math!  Hosted by GHA Faculty & Staff, kids will be able to explore the many concepts of math at their own level with hands-on engaging activities.  This will be a don't miss evening for all preschoolers through 5th graders and their parents. 

Click on image to the right for a detailed flyer about this exciting event. 

Monday, October 11 - Friday, October 15

SFN's first community service project will be for Gigh Harbor's FISH Food Bank.  The fifth grade class will be collecting food from October 11th through the 15th.  Please drop off all donations to their classroom.  During Math Night, there will be money jars in each classroom for those who choose to give monetary gifts.  Items that are most needed are:

• Non perishables such as juice, canned fruit, vegetables, baked beans, coffee, spaghetti, Top Ramen, sugar, flour, dry cereal, etc. 
• Personal hygiene items such as shampoo, deodorant, razors, etc.
• Household cleaning items like dish soap, laundry soap, etc.
• Baby products of all varieties, but especially diapers.    

Please click on the image above for more information about this SFN Community Service Project and others to come. 

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Wednesday, October 21

Hosted by Third Grade Families
Enjoy yummy snacks for $1 each. 

Click on the image to the right for the entire year's schedule and an order form to purchase a $20 punch card. 

Monday, October 25 - Friday, October 29
Fall Book Fair is coming soon!  Mark your calendars and be sure to support our book fair October 25th to 29th.  The fair will be open every day including before and after school and we will have special hours the night of Pumpkin Carve (Friday, October 29th).  Thank you for your support.  Reading is fun and sharing a good book with your child is always a great experience. 

Click on the above image for all the details including information on volunteering.

Thursday, October 28 - After School

Enjoy an after school treat of popcorn and lemonade provided by the kindergarten class for only $1!  Proceeds from their popcorn sales help support GHA.  Last year, they raised enough money to purchase four Flip Video Cameras for the faculty to share and then some of the proceeds helped finance the rental of a scanner from Renaissance Learning. The scanner enables the school to label the classroom and library books with the Accelerated Reader points and reading levels.  The kindergarten class plans to hopefully raise enough money this year to purchase some web cams for the faculty.  GHA certainly appreciates everyone's support in this project.  THANK YOU!

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Friday, October 29
6:00-8:00 PM
Enjoy an evening of carving pumpkins into jack-o-lanterns, pizza, face painting, and fun with the entire school.  The order forms for this event went out Monday, October 11 and are due back Friday, October 15. We look forward to seeing you there. 

  Please click on the pumpkin for more information and an order form.    

Monday, November 1st &

Tuesday, November 2nd

Parent/Teacher Conferences

Last year GHA implemented the Accelerated Reader Program, which is a curriculum-based assessment tool that provides a summary and analysis of results to enable teachers to monitor both the quantity and quality of reading practice engaged in by their students.  Students administer comprehension tests voluntarily themselves, and the system is intended specifically to have strong formative effects on subsequent learning.  This is a wonderful tool that all of our teachers are embracing.  To help in the selection of the right book we are in the process of labeling our classroom books with detailed information that will help our students use the AR program with ease.  We have rented a labeling system and need your help in completing this task by October 22, 2010.  If you are able to help with this process please sign-up in the office.

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Click on image above to be sent to the Kids' Fest website.

Celebrate the Power of Play in the Children's Museum of Tacoma's newest exhibit: Zing!  The Power of Play. 

 For more information click on the image to the right.

Sunday, October 31

4:00 PM 

Little ghosts and goblins come from all around town for a safe "Trick or Treat" event.  Downtown merchants give out treats, while families have a Happy Halloween. 

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Each name is a link to that person's email.

Bruce Shoup

Head of School

Paul Hoover

Business Officer

Niki Vanderford

Director of Admissions & Marketing

Donna Hanenburg

Adminstrative Assistant

Diana Nold & Mary Hagey

 Preschool

Carolyn Von Zimmerman & Kim Dickens

Pre-Kindergarten

Pat Felton & Sheila Walther

Kindergarten

JoAnn Johnson

First Grade
 

Amber Holland

Second Grade

Eileen Perry
Third Grade

Kallie Grochowski

Fourth Grade 
 

Jeff Funk

Fifth Grade

Xinia Agee & Ilene Wider

Spanish 

Jenny Buys

Technology

Megan Johnson

Physical Education

Lisa Mellinger

Art

Lynn Swanson

Music

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